School-desk.



LEONARD I-I. CAMPBELL, or :enovrnnncn, nnonn ISLAND.

SCHOOL-DESK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 16, 1910.

Application filed January 13, 1909. Serial No. 472,114.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEONARD H. CAMP- BELL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State ofRhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSchool-Desks, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad therein to the accompanying drawings.

Like reference numerals indicate like parts. a

Figure 1 is a view of my improved school desk, as seen partly inelevation and partly in section on line a 2 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2, is a viewof the same as seen in cross section on line m w of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is aview similar to Fig. 1, except that the desk cover is shown as tilted onits forward fulcrums.

My invention relates to school desks and more especially to a schooldesk having a slidable cover, which is also capable of hinging at willat either its forward or rear edge; and consists of the novelconstruction and combination of the several parts as hereinafterdescribed and set forth in the claims.

The body of the desk consists of the two parallel sides 1 and 2, thebottom 3, the back 4: and the front 5, the latter being angularlyinclined as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The upper edge of each of the sidepieces 1 and 2 has a sloping shape, as usual. The body of the desk issupported on standards 6, to

which it is secured by screws or in any preferred manner.

Each of the side pieces 1 and 2 has on 1ts inner surface a groove 7 withclosed ends 8 and 9. Each groove 7 is parallel with the top sloping edgeof the side piece. Two grooves 10 extend from the grooves 7 to the edgeof the side pieces 1 and2, near the front of the desk (that is, the partof the desk nearest to the pupil), preferably at right angles With saidgrooves, respectively, and two grooves 11 and 12extend preferably atright angles from the grooves 7, 7, to the edge of said side pieces,near the rear of the desk.

The desk cover is designated as 13 and is rectangular and oblong inshape, so that it is capable of completely extending over the desk bodyand projecting slightly therefrom, and when in the position illustratedin Fig. 1, rests upon the upper edges of the back and front and upon theupper sloping edges of the side pieces 1 and 2. i

or by other suitable means, and

Four fulcrum irons are used designated in the drawings as 14,14, 15, 16,respectively, and these constitute the only means by which the cover 13is secured to the body of the desk. Each fulcrum iron comprises a baseplate, a curved arm and a fulcrum pin, all preferably integral andsecured to the undersurface of the cover 13 by screws 18, or otherwise.These fulcrum irons are placed beneaththe cover 13 at some distance fromthe respective edges of the cover as illustrated in the several figures.Two braces or rods 19, 19, are mounte pivotally at their upper ends uponpins 20, 20, which enter into the cover 13 as shown, project downwarddiagonally within the desk body adjacent to the sides 1 and 2tl1ereof,respectively. On the forward edge of each brace rod is a plurality ofsockets 23. On

each side piece lor 2 there is an inwardly extending pin or stop 24:with which the bracerod is adapted to engage in either of .rounding 26of the back piece 4 allows the tilting of the desk cover 13 thereon, asillustrated-in Fig. 1. If said edges of the pieces 4 and5 were not sorounded 01f, it would be impossible for the desk cover to tilt, asrepresented in said figures.

Having thus described the construction of my improved school desk, Iwill now explain the operation of its movable parts.

When in its normal position, the desk is closed, asrepresented in Figs.1 and 2. The

fulcrum pins 15 and 16 are then at the rear closed ends 9, 9, and extendinto the grooves 7, 7, of the side pieces 1 and 2. In this position, thecover 13 completely closes the desk and projectsslightly on itsfouredges out,

beyond the body of the desk. The cover 13, however, is movable either toslide or to tilt. It can be drawn toward the pupil and yet maintain itssaid normal plane, to any desired extent Within the distance from nearthe closed ends 9, 9, of the grooves 7, 7, to a point just to the rearof the vertical grooves 11, 12 and during such sliding movement of thecover 13, the fulcrum pins 14:,

14, will move along the grooves 7, 7 to a.

corresponding distance between a point near the vertical grooves 10, 10,and a point near the closed ends 8, 8, of the grooves 7, 7, of said sidepieces. In any of these positions, the desk cover 13 cannot be tilted,because it is engaged by its four fulcrum pins all at the same time, andin the same plane, and these cannot rise out of said grooves 7, 7. Butwhen the fulcrum pins 15, 16, are exactly seated in the closed ends 9,9, of the grooves 7, 7 the fulcrum pins 14, 14, are then exactly inalinement with the rooves 1'0, 10. The cover 13 can then be raised byhand and its forward edge elevated, as illustrated in Fig. 1 by dottedlines whereupon the rear edge of the cover 13 will pivot upon thefulcrum pins 15, and 16, and the fulcrum pins 14, 14, will rise and passout of the vertical grooves 10, 10, to the position shown by the dottedlines in Fi 1, to whatever degree may be desired, an then be held insuch tilted elevated position by the engagement of the stop pins 24 inthe selected sockets 23 of the brace rods 19, 1'9, appropriate for thepurpose. This elevation of the cover 13 upon the fulcrum pins 15, 16, ashinges, gives to the pupil access to the interior of the desk to putaway his books or papers therein or to remove them therefrom.

By disen aging the bracerods 1'9, 19, from their san engagement with thepins 24, the desk cover 13 can be restored to its former position,illustrated in solid lines in Fig. 1.

For study and other purposes, it is often desirable and important thatthe desk cover 13 should have the peculiar tilting function illustratedin Fig. 3-. Whenever the fulcrum pins 14, 14, are seated exactly in theclosed ends '8, 8, of the grooves 7 7, the fulcrum pins 15, 16 are thenexactly in alinement with the vertical grooves 11, 12. The cover 13 canthen be raised by hand and its rear edge elevated, as illustrated inFig. 3, where upon the forward portion of the cover 13 will pivot uponthe fulcrum pins 14, 14, and

the fulcrum pins 15, 16, will rise and pass out of the vertical grooves11 and 12, to whatever extent may be desired, and then be held in suchtilted elevated position by the engagement of the stop pins 24 in theselected sockets 23 of the brace rods 19, 19, appropriate for thepurpose. This elevation of the cover 13 upon the fulcrum pins 14 isuseful to bring the cover 13 and the books or papers which are thereonnearer to the pupil, thus preventing eye strain and allowin the pupil tosit erect in his chair before t e desk.

I claim as a novel and useful invention and desire to secure by LettersPatent 1. The combination of a desk body having ,two parallel sidepieces, each provided with a groove near and parallel with the upperedge thereof and also with a vertical groove in proximity with theforward end of the side piece and extending from the first named grooveto the upper edge of said side piece; a desk cover mounted on the upperedges of the desk body; and four L-shaped fulcrum pins located near thefour corners of the desk cover, respectively,each of which fulcrum pinsis secured at one end thereof to the under surface of the desk cover andis slidably mounted at its opposite end in that first named grooveadjacent thereto, said parts being so assembled that when the two rearfulcrum pins are seated at the rear ends of the two first named groovesthe two front fulcrum pins are in said two first named grooves in'aline'ment with said two vertical grooves, respectively, and arecapable of moving out through said two vertical grooves whenever thedesk cover is tilted upon said two rear fulcrum pins as hinges,

2. The combination of a desk body having two parallel side ieces, eachprovided with a groove near an parallel with the upper edge thereof andalso with a vertical groove in proximity with the rear end of said sidepiece and extending from the first named groove to the upper edge ofsaid side piece; a desk cover mounted on the upper ed es of the deskbody; and four L-shap'ed fu crum pins located near the four corners ofthe desk cover, respectively, each of which fulcrum pins is secured atone end thereof to the under surface of the desk cover and is slidablymounted at its opposi'teend in that first named groove adjacent thereto,said parts being so assembled that when the two forward fulcrum pins areseated at the forward ends of said two first named grooves the rearfulcrum pins are in said two first named grooves in alinement with saidtwo vertical grooves, respectively, and are capable of moving outthrough said two vertical grooves whenever the desk cover is tilted uponsaid two forward fulcrum pins as a hinge.

3. In a desk, the combination of a desk body comprising the two parallelside pieces 1 and 2, each having the groove 7 therein from which groovetwo vertical grooves extend to the upper edge of the side piece; and thedesk cover 13, having the four fulcrum pins l4, 14, 15, 16, eachcomprising in combination with the pin, an arm supporting the 'pin and abase plate by which it is mounted on the desk cover, all said fulcrumpins being mounted slidably in the grooves 7, 7, and so arranged thatwhen the desk cover 13 pivots upon the fulcrum pins 14, 14, the fulcrumpins 15, 16, are movable out through the two rear vertical grooves, andwhen the desk cover 13 pivots on the fulcrum pins 15, 16, the fulcrumpins 14, 14, are movable out through the two forward vertical grooves.

4. In a desk, the combination of a desk body having the two parallelside pieces 1 and 2, each provided with a groove 7, from which groovetwo vertical grooves extend to the upper edge of the side piece; thedesk cover having the four fulcrum pins 14, 14, 15, 16, each comprisingin comb1nation the pin, an arm supporting the pin and a base plate bywhich it is secured to the desk cover, two brace rods pivotally mountedon the opposite sides of the desk cover, respectively, and each having aseries of sockets in the edge thereof; and a stop pin in each side piecewith which one of the brace rods is adapted to engage by either of itssockets, said fulcrum pins being so located that when the desk coverpivots upon the fulcrum pins 14, 14, the fulcrum pins 15, 16, aremovable out through the two rear vertical grooves, and when the deskcover pivots upon the fulcrum pins 15, 16, the fulcrum pins 14, 14, aremovable out through the two forward vertical grooves.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

, LEONARD H. CAMPBELL. Witnesses:

LUDGER A. BENorr, HOWARD A. LAMPREY.

